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What's next for U.S. wrestling in bid for Olympic spot

With three weeks remaining before wrestling leaders present their case before the IOC, Olympic champion Rulon Gardner says he's not sure if enough has been done to keep the sport on the Olympic program for

With three weeks remaining before wrestling leaders present their case before the IOC, Olympic champion Rulon Gardner says he's not sure if enough has been done to keep the sport on the Olympic program for 2020 and beyond.

"I don't know. I'm not saying no, we haven't (done enough) or we have. There's really no rhyme or reason for some of the decisions made by the IOC," Gardner said.

He joined Olympians Henry Cejudo, Clarissa Chun, Kerry McCoy and Bill Scherr at an event in Washington on Thursday organized by USAID and the Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling (CPOW).

Scherr, chair of CPOW and an Olympic bronze medalist, wouldn't put a percentage on wrestling's chances to make the cut when the IOC narrows the field of sports being considered for 2020. The IOC executive board meets in St. Petersburg on May 29-31. (Wrestling is on the program for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.)

Wrestling is up against a joint bid by baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sports climbing, squash, wakeboard and wushu for a spot in the 2020 Games. The final vote is in September.

"My sense is it will be three or four" sports recommended for a final vote by the IOC, Scherr said. "I doubt they'd go down to two. They want to give the sports an opportunity to go before the general assembly. But they can do whatever they want."

CPOW has raised $1.2 million since February, when the IOC executive board recommended that wrestling not be one of the core sports in the Summer Games. Since then, U.S. wrestling leaders have organized a strong public relations campaign to spread the word. Gardner, who won gold in Sydney in 2000 and bronze four years later in Athens, appeared on Good Morning America on Thursday.

U.S. wrestling leaders have worked closely with the international federation (FILA) as the sport tries to adapt its rules and organizational structure to appeal to the IOC. FILA acting president Nenad Lalovic will meet with CPOW leaders in New York next week. Scherr views it as an opportunity for CPOW to share its ideas with the sport's international leadership.

"There's as much unity in FILA as there is in any political organization, much like the Senate or the Congress, which is to say, so many considerations go into it," Scherr said. "We're trying to find a consensus about the changes that are necessary to be made. But we're getting strong direction from the International Olympic Committee about what those changes should be. So I hope there's a consensus built around what the IOC wants us to do."

One change that's being considered is adding two weight classes for women's wrestling at the Olympics, giving women six weight classes total. It's a move that Scherr, who has coached the women's national team, calls "extremely important."

"I think the International Olympic Committee wants us to promote gender equity in the sport," he said. "I want to see a day when women's wrestling has an equal number of weights as men's wrestling. I think the International Olympic Committee, one of the things they stand for is gender equity. If we were to get to that point, it only helps us."

On May 15, the U.S. will host Iran and Russia for Rumble on the Rails, a competition at Grand Central Terminal in New York. Four days later, the Americans will face the Iranians in a dual meet in Los Angeles.

In February a group of U.S. wrestlers traveled to Tehran to compete in a World Cup. Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs was among the athletes who got their photo taken with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Gardner says moments like those are the biggest reason wrestling should remain in the Games. "What is the purpose of the Olympic movement, to bring the world together through sports. And that says it right there."